Department of State Services (DSS) has recorded a major breakthrough in its counter-terrorism efforts, securing the conviction of dozens of suspects in terrorism-related cases across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that court records show that 12 convicts were sentenced to death by hanging, while several others received prison terms ranging from a few years to life imprisonment.
Among those handed death sentences were individuals convicted of terrorism, kidnapping, murder, arms trafficking, and supporting terrorist groups. Four of the convicts were found guilty over their roles in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, while others were convicted in separate cases in Sokoto, Kogi, Ekiti and Katsina states.
The convictions followed prosecutions involving alleged members and supporters of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as individuals accused of terrorism financing, gun running, and providing logistical support to extremist organisations.
Several other defendants received lengthy jail terms. Some were sentenced to between 20 and 50 years in prison, while others received life imprisonment after courts found them guilty of various terrorism-related offences.
